Cree Class Action Says LED Light Bulbs Don’t Last 35,000 Hours

A class action lawsuit alleges that Cree LED light bulbs’ longevity representations are inaccurate, harming consumers who pay a premium for the bulbs.

Lead plaintiff Don Nguyen states in his Cree class action lawsuit that the LED light bulbs made by the company are marketed as being able to last as long as 35,000 hours.

According to the Cree class action lawsuit, the company also offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee for these LED bulbs. The LED bulbs are marketed as lasting between 15-32 years and come with a 10 year warranty.

The Cree LED class action lawsuit says that consumers are duped into purchasing these lightbulbs based on these claims and promises.

A reasonable consumer would see on numerous locations on the packaging that such bulbs last longer than other light bulbs, Nguyen argues.

However, according to the lawsuit, the LED light bulbs don’t last as long as promised.

The Cree class action lawsuit says that buyers who purchased these bulbs did not get the full value of advertised bulbs since the products fail much sooner than promised.

The Cree LED light bulbs class action lawsuit points out that incandescent bulbs might last up to 2,000 hours and energy saving bulbs can last as long as 10,000.

However, Cree’s LED replacement bulbs are typically marketed as having a lifespan from 25,000 to 50,000 hours.

As argued in the Cree class action lawsuit, however, the Cree bulbs burn out much faster.

Independent testing carried out on behalf of the plaintiff allegedly revealed that these bulbs might even burn out in a few weeks or months after being installed.

Cree makes three different categories of LED bulbs: Reflector, Specialty, and Standard A-Type.

The Cree class action lawsuit accuses the makers of these bulbs of using multiple false representations about the bulbs, such as the 10 year warranty, 100 percent satisfaction guarantee, and claims of up to 45 years of useful lifespan for the product.

The Cree class action lawsuit points out that a class action is appropriate for this claim since numerous complaints online mirror the experience of the lead plaintiff with regard to the bulb’s lifespan.

The plaintiff has brought the Cree class action lawsuit on behalf of himself and a Class of Oregon purchasers who opted to buy the Cree lightbulb types mentioned above based on the promises of a long life but who later experienced early failure of the bulbs.

The plaintiffs in the Cree class action lawsuit are represented by Steve D. Larson of Stoll Stoll Berne Lokting & Schlachter PC, Michael McShane and S. Clinton Woods of Audet & Partners LLP, Charles J. LaDuca and Alexandra C. Warren of Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca LLP, Melissa S. Weiner and Amy F. Boyle of Halunen Law, Charles E. Schaffer of Levin Sedran & Berman, and Jason P. Sultzer of Sultzer Law Group.

The Cree LED Light Bulbs Class Action Lawsuit is Don Nguyen v. Cree Inc., Case No. 3:18-cv-02097, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, Portland Division.